Wind Concerns Ontario News Release

News release


CANADIAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION MEETS WITH STRONGEST CRITICS:

WIND CONCERNS ONTARIO





September 11, 2009- John Laforet, president of Wind Concerns Ontario and a small delegation of mainly health specialists met with Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). The Canadian Wind Energy Association represents and promotes the interests of industrial wind developers in Canada. The meeting, at Mr. Hornung’s request, was held in Ottawa at the offices of CanWEA.



During the meeting Wind Concerns Ontario asserted that CanWEA must recognize the real adverse health effects of industrial wind turbines which are now causing significant damage to peoples’ health and quality of life. Those affected are ill because these wind turbines have been installed too close to their homes.



Members of the Wind Concerns Ontario delegation urged CanWEA to establish much greater distances or setbacks from people’s homes in order to make sure that human health is protected. Mr. Hornung has stated publicly that although CanWEA is aware of reports of health issues due to industrial wind plants CanWEA’s assumption is that the cause is not industrial wind turbines. Wind Concerns Ontario could not disagree more and made that clear to Mr. Hornung at last week’s meeting.



Wind Concerns Ontario has been carrying out a health survey which exposes the fact that people have developed symptoms such as cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, nosebleeds, tinnitus, nausea and fatigue. Findings also show that those symptoms are gone once residents have left their homes for another location far away from the wind turbines.



In view of the adverse health effects being reported, the question was repeatedly asked whether CanWEA supported the conduct of an evidence-based health study including epidemiology to determine the adverse health affects of industrial wind turbines. The question was never answered



Wind Concerns Ontario reiterates its demand that a moratorium be placed on further wind development until such studies are done.



John Laforet stated, ‘We will continue to stand up and oppose irresponsible projects, until CanWEA and its members join us in supporting setbacks and regulations that protect human health.’





For more information contact:

Beth Harrington John Laforet

Media Relations President

Wind Concerns Ontario Wind Concerns Ontario

647 588-8647 416 879-2628

Tide, Wind Power PLANNING AND REGULATION

There's a planning process in other countries.

From RenewEngland.com

September 11, 2009
The Straw Proposal: Offshore Wind and Tidal Power Seek Surer Footing on Maine’s Submerged Lands
Maine’s Ocean Energy Task Force (OETF) Regulatory and Permitting Subcommittee met this Tuesday, September 8th, to discuss a Straw Proposal for a set of recommendations to the full OETF. The Subcommittee chair, State Planning Office (SPO) Director of Coastal Zone Management Planning, Kathleen Leyden, and SPO staffer Todd Burroughs reviewed the proposal with Regulatory Subcommittee members, accepting comments from members of the public. The Subcommittee meeting minutes will be posted at its page on the OETF website.

The Straw Proposal would establish that development of renewable ocean energy resources, including tidal and wind power, is an authorized use of state submerged lands. But some commenters noted that the proposed language requiring "due consideration" and even compensation to be provided by renewable developments for other existing commercial uses, such as fishing, gives commercial fishing a superior right to use of submerged lands, rather than putting renewable resource uses on equal footing with fishing interests. It was noted that the Subcommittee Recommendation to the OETF should include the option that renewable energy projects be recognized as an appropriate use of submerged lands, equal (or even higher) in priority to other uses, given the urgency of the need for renewable energy.

Tidal developers also pointed out that the straw proposal is focused exclusively on wind, and has not taken into account the unique aspects of tidal power projects. DEP and SPO staff indicated that they believe that the Maine Waterways Act is sufficient to regulate tidal power, and that only the submerged lands, tax, and federal state coordination provisions of this proposal would apply to tidal power. Members of the public were encouraged to provide more detailed commentary on this point, especially the unique aspects of the FERC Pilot Project process used for tidal projects.

The Subcommittee has been asked to complete its recommendation on legislation to the OETF by September 15, 2009.

For more information regarding the Straw Proposal or OETF, please contact Lib Butler, Sarah Verville or Chip Ahrens.